How I Fell In Love With The Bartenders Daughter
by JinxedBinx
Summary: :auverse, michael x oc, only loosely follows current show, changes may be made : Emerald Ratcliffe is the adopted daughter of Coleman Ratcliffe and she's come to Port Charles to sort of start over. She runs into Michael, someone she used to play with the few times she was there as a child and sparks fly.. But how will it all end?
1. Chapter 1

_Introduction_

_ The Bartender's Daughter_

Most kids can't say their parents chose them. I however, at the age of 21 can most definitely say that my dad.. Well, he chose me.. See, he didn't have to raise me, really, he wanted to. I don't know my real parents, mind you, and I've never once bothered to find 'em, either because to me?

Coleman Ratcliffe, bartender at the bar formerly known as Jakes, well, he's the man I call daddy.

And for my entire life almost, it's only been he and I against the world.

Now, if you're sitting here, reading this, you're wondering one of two things right now.. And neither of 'em are probably good. But trust me.. The cool and laid back jokester that's been keeping patrons of the bar entertained for years now?

That's him. But he's also got several different sides.. He can be protective, he can be strict sometimes, because god knows I needed it when I was a teenager..

But no matter what 'role' or 'side' he's showing, he will always be one thing to me.

Just dad. Plain and simple.

Guess I should tell y'all a little more about how he came to be my dad, right?

I thought so.

See, my real mom, she couldn't raise me, so she left me outside the bar. Coleman found me and bought me in right as a storm washed up into Port Charles.

Funny thing is, he got attached to me I suppose and when it finally occurred to him to maybe tell the cops what'd happened?

He didn't wanna give me up, so he raised me himself and never said a word to the proper authorities.

Lucky for me, my old man was low key enough that he didn't have to answer too many questions. But when we did,we (or he, rather, like I could talk well at the age of 3) usually told everyone my mama died when I was really, really little, nobody's ever really asked too many questions.

Then again, the old man, he believed in me having and being the best, and he didn't wanna surrender me over to the proper authorities, so I spent over half my life in the best boarding schools, learning, traveling, among other things.

So I've maybe lived in Port Charles for a few holiday length stretches, since I was about 3 or so.

Normally, my dad will take time off of work, and we'll use my school vacations traveling, bumming around, basically. We usually go to New Orleans or Mobile.. My old man loves the beach, loves his boat.

And I love the beach and the boat life too.

So I'm guessing by now, you've established that I'm not the average girl who shows up in Port Charles, right?

Nope, not even close. I'm pretty much a country girl or a beach bunny to the core.

My old man's from the South, so that's where he raised me, in the 'house boat' and the riverfront shack we normally went straight to when I got holidays and summers off from school.

I've maybe been to Port Charles 2 or 3 times in my life, and not for very long. It's just never really felt like home, ya know?

Either way, at 21, with my life falling apart all around me, and my father working at the Floating Rib again, for his old buddy Mack Scorpio and Mack's wife, Felicia, as the main barkeep, I'm here now.

Might as well make the best of it, right?

Hell, it's not like life gets any worse.

Just hope that soon it does start to get better for me. It just seems like lately, I've sort of been drifting aimlessly through life with no actual goal or real solid plan.

And then I met Davey and it went to hell in a handbasket. Now here I am, I _**could be**_ pregnant, I'm on the run to my dad, and not looking to fall in love again, because Davey taught me one thing, and that is that Love Hurts.. Okay, so he taught me two, the second being, "Only trust yourself and your immediate family".

Wonder who I'll run into while I'm staying here? Wonder what messes I'll manage to get myself smack in the middle of. I seem to be good at that.

This is Port Charles, through my eyes. It's my story, from beginning to hopefully happy end. Sit back and hang on tight, boys and girls, it's gonna be one hell of a journey.

CHAPTER 01:

_**'A Girl Will Always Need Her Daddy'**_

"Okay, daddy.. Your shift starts in 10.. Where the hell are you?" Emerald Ratcliffe muttered as she slid onto a barstool rested her head a moment against the wooden bar's surface.

She'd really made a mess of her life this time, her father was gonna flip out on her, that much she knew for certain. With an ex hot on her heels, and the possibility that she may or may not be pregnant with said psychotic ex's kid, yeah..

She'd really really had a huge lapse in judgement this time, that much was obvious.

"Are you okay?" a man asked her from the other side of the bar. She looked up and sighed then said quietly, "Just lookin for someone, sir."

"Who?" Mack Scorpio asked as he looked carefully at the girl sitting in front of him. She looked vaguely familiar, but he said nothing.

He could be wrong, he didn't want to embarrass the girl, she looked like she had a lot on her mind.

"If you're going to drink, I need to see some ID." Mack said as he looked at her again. She looked old enough to drink, but these days, you couldn't be too sure, really.

"I won't be drinking sir, just waitin on someone, really." Emerald said quietly as she stared a hole in the door, willing her father to walk through it, before things got any more awkward.

She knew there weren't many people here in town that actually KNEW Coleman Ratcliffe had sort of taken her in when she was probably about 3 and she didn't want anyone getting curious.

"Who are you waiting on?"

"He's a bartender, his name's Coleman Ratcliffe, sir." Emerald said as she bit her lip and let her eyes dart around the room, nervously, worried that Davey might have slipped in and gotten the drop on her without her knowing it.

She knew he'd been following her for the better part of a week now, they'd had one violent run in already, that if not for a curious person standing outside the mall, she'd have either been beaten within an inch of her life and taken back with him, or she'd have committed murder to protect herself and the baby she could be carrying.

The thought sank in then, became real.

_'I'm really gonna do this, be a single mom. There is no way in hell I'm doing what was done to me when I was a kid. This is MY baby, and I will raise it, love it. Even if I do it completely and totally alone.'_

"Just curious, ma'am.. How do you know Coleman?"

"Let's just say he's family and leave it at that." Emerald said quietly, not sure why she didn't just say that he was her father, he'd raised her when nobody else wanted her.

Maybe she was still afraid he'd get in trouble about it, even now, all these years gone by since he'd taken her in the night she was left at the back alley entrance of the bar she was now sitting in.

"Okay, like I said, just curious.. The only family that I know of, that Coleman has, is a daughter, I met her when she was probably 5."

Emerald smiled, relieved. This could have been such an awkward situation. "That'd be me, sir." she said softly, her smile a warm one as she squinted then said aloud, "Aww, hell.. I remember you.. Mack Scorpio, right? You had two daughters or nieces.."

"Georgie and Maxie. I think they played with you a little while the day your dad talked to me about you."

"Yeah, I remember, sir.. How are they?"

"Well, Maxie's expecting.. Georgie passed away a few years ago." Mack said quietly as he sighed and then asked, "I'm going to be nosy again, Emerald, right?"

"Yes sir?"

"Is everything okay? You just look like you have the weight of the whole world on your shoulders right now.."

"It will be okay.. Just need to see my daddy, sir." Emerald muttered nervously, biting her lower lip as she added as a quiet afterthought, "Sorry sir.. About Georgie, I mean. She was real sweet to me when she came by with you."

"She used to ask me about you a lot when she was younger." Mack said with a smile as Emerald smiled back and nodded, then asked, "Any chance a girl can get a milkshake? I'm kind of jonesing for one right now.."

"Sure. Just give me a second.. Strawberry, right?"

"Yes sir." Emerald said as she smiled to herself. So the old man had told people about her.. She wondered how much, not wanting to get him into any serious trouble over what he'd done back then, but happy he loved her that much, he was that proud of her.

The doors opened and her father walked in, dropped his tacklebox and fishing pole as he gaped at her. "Em?"

"Daddy.." Emerald said quietly as she ran to him and looked up at him as she added quietly, "I need to talk to you."

Coleman studied his daughter a few moments and then said quietly, "It's bad, isn't it?"

"A little bit, daddy.. I might be in over my head this time."

"What do you mean, darlin?"

"Well.. Remember Davey?"

"As in the little shit I specifically said would never amount to anything, and he was only gonna hurt ya, not to go near him?"

Emerald's eyes dropped to her bitten nails and she nodded then said quietly, "You were right, daddy and I shoulda.. I shoulda listened.. He fooled me, I thought he was a good guy, I wanted things to work out but he did the one thing I won't stand for.."

"Did he lay his hands on you?"

Her lack of an answer had the older male growling a little as he said "Where is this little jackass at now?"

"He's following me.. That's not the worst of it, daddy.. You might wanna.. You might wanna sit down.."

"Emerald, baby, just spit it out.. Tell daddy what's up, he can handle it."

"Well, I have to go to the hospital to make sure, but I'm at least 90 percent certain that I am pregnant. And the way I left Davey, he's not gonna just let it lie.. He wants revenge and.."

"You just don't worry about that, okay? Dad's got this." Coleman said as he handed her his apartment key and then said "Go on up, put your stuff down and take a nap."

She shook her head and said "Going up to shower, change and then I'm going to look for a job, dad."

"You are going to take it easy, Emerald, you hear me?"

"Dad, I cannot afford to take it easy. I need a job."

"Well, there will be plenty of time to find one, honey, now go up to my apartment and take a nap. You've been on the road what, a week or two now?"

She gave up arguing and walked out the door of the bar, right as Michael Corinthos III was walking in, sort of at his own crossroads in life.

" Screw it." he muttered as he smacked into the petite and deeply tanned brunette female coming out the door as he was going in.

"Sorry." he said as she gave a slight smile and then said quietly, "It's fine, I shoulda been looking where I was going."

"But I clearly ran into you." Michael pointed out as she shook her head and said "Shit happens, man.. It's okay, nobody's hurt. I'm Emerald.. You are?"

"Michael." Michael said as he smiled a little, feeling a bit more relaxed. She seemed to have this bright cheerfulness he noticed, but her eyes, well, they didn't lie.

Her eyes held fear, sadness and worry. And he saw the fading bruise, wondered what'd happened to her.

It was obvious by her accent, she wasn't from around here, so what'd made her come here?

Before he could say anything else, she was walking up the side stairs of The Floating Rib, and unlocking the door to Coleman's apartment. He raised a brow as he watched her, then looked at Coleman, confused clearly.

"My daughter." Coleman said stiffly as he poured Michael his usual drink of choice then added, "She's just coming out of a bad spot."

His words held a clear and simple meaning.. Keep the hell away from my daughter, Corinthos.

Even an idiot could have picked up on it.

Michael almost said something, but he thought about it, kept quiet.

Upstairs, Emerald straightened up her father's small apartment and unpacked herself, then showered, redressed and got ready to go to the hospital, find out what her future held in store for her.

Was she going to be a mother in a few short months? And if she was, was she already screwing up her unborn child's life by being involved with the man she'd been involved with?

She groaned as she slipped into some comfortable track pants, one of her old sorority t shirts and some converses. "No need in getting all cleaned up." she muttered as she thought briefly about the blond male she'd very nearly fell on top of earlier.

"Wonder what had him lookin like he just lost his best friend." she muttered to herself as she left her father a note explaining she'd gone to the hospital to get a pregnancy test done officially, and then she was going to go and grab some food, because a man was not supposed to live on takeout alone.

Then she set off for the local hospital. And as she sat in the lobby, she sat next to a dark haired man who seemed to be worried about his unborn grandchild.

"I'll pray for it, sir." she said quietly as he nodded, gave her a slight smile and asked, "Do I know you?"

"If you do, it's because of my father.. Coleman."

"Yeah, I remember now. You came around twice, played with my second oldest son, Michael.. I remember because he used to get so mad because you followed him around a lot."

Emerald didn't remember that all too well, but she nodded politely and then he asked, "What are you here for? You're not sick, right?"

"Going to find out if I'm pregnant, sir." she said quietly as she bit her lower lip, raked her hand through her hair nervously.

"Wow, you don't really look that old." Sonny mused as the nurse called her name and she stood, walking towards the office on shaking legs.

An hour later, she sat by the dock, staring at the sonogram she held in her hands in shock, not speaking, just thinking.. Just how was she going to do this alone?

And how badly was she going to mess up at being a mother?

A throat clearing behind her had her looking up, startled out of her quiet thoughts for a little bit and Michael stood there, looking at her as he said calmly, quietly, "This isn't a good place for you to just be sitting around in."

He should know, after all, he'd been shot a few years prior, in a warehouse, just down the pier from the bench she sat on.

"Why the hell not?" Emerald asked, her voice coming out wary, stiff and maybe even a little cranky. She sighed and raking her hand through long and thick dark hair, she said quietly, "I'm sorry, Michael.. I didn't mean to snap, it's just.. I'm in shock right now."

"Everything okay?"

"Just scared shitless right about now, but other than that? Perfectly fine. I should get going, you're probably right.."

She jogged away and he raked his hand through his hair as he muttered, "I've seen her somewhere before."

The next text he got from his adoptive father, Sonny, pretty much confirmed it.. Apparently, when they were little, and Coleman used to play poker with Sonny, Sonny used to take him to play with Emerald when she was there.

He laughed a little to himself, put it down to coincidence.. It wasn't like she ever really stayed here long anyways, so that's all their run ins were, probably.

Besides, Sonny and Coleman barely talked anymore, and Coleman seemed really, really against Michael even trying to talk to Emerald at the bar when she was on her way out earlier.

He shoved his headphones in, started his late afternoon jog, everything on his mind, yet trying to think of nothing.

Which of course, didn't work.

Emerald had just finished the spaghetti she was making when her father came in from work. "Well?"

"Well what, daddy? Why the hell are there at least 100 pizza boxes in here? I thought you said you were eating the healthy meals."

"Sugar, those have no taste."

"Dad, you're older now, I want you around.. Especially now."

"What?"

"I went to the hospital earlier dad and.. I am pregnant. I'm scared. I'm not even a mother of a month, and I've already made huge mistakes that could get my baby hurt or killed even."

Coleman hugged his daughter then with a laugh said "Ran into Sonny earlier."

"Yeah, so did I."

"We got to talking about you and your little crush on Michael."

"Dad, seriously?"

"What?"

"Dad.. We're both older now, I'm pretty damn sure Michael's too busy helping Sonny run his business or whatever.."

"Actually, the kid works at ELQ. That was a shock to me, actually. I've been gone a lot longer than I thought, apparently."

"Still, daddy, no cupid games, okay? I'm done. I'm completely and totally done with the male species as a whole. I'm becoming asexual."

"Humming now.. Don't want to hear the word sex come out of your mouth again.." Coleman joked as he got plates, then got himself some spaghetti. "You're staying right?"

"Unless Davey shows up here and threatens to hurt you or the baby, dad, yes. If he shows up and threatens to hurt either of you, I'm going into hiding, something. I don't know yet, I haven't figured it out."

"On the road's no place to raise a kid.. Besides, it's my grandkid, I like to think I have a say so in this."

"You do, but I'm not letting you or the baby get hurt because I was an idiot, sir."

She walked into the kitchen area to grab him a beer, herself a Sprite, and he called out, "If you'd at least make friends with Mikey again.. You wouldn't have a damn thing to worry about, sugar."

"Daaaad.. We are NOT having this discussion. Now I'm humming." Emerald said as she walked into the room he sat in, handed him his beer as she sat down, sipped her Sprite slowly.

Everything felt like it was sort of falling into place.. But Emerald had yet to make up her mind if that were a good or a bad thing.

And again, she found herself wondering what on Earth had Michael looking so sad when she'd seen him earlier in the day the two times she'd seen him.

Meanwhile, Michael punched the weight bag in front of him as he pretended not to listen to Sonny's fatherly prodding about his run in with Emerald earlier in the day.

"Dad, just don't, okay?"

"Why not?"

"Dad, really?"

"Okay, alright, fine." Sonny said as he dropped the subject, for now. But given what Coleman told him at the bar earlier, he was a little worried about the kid..

And she had been one of few kids that Michael could actually say liked him, no matter what.

He shoved the stubborn thought he had of playing cupid out of his mind. Michael needed to do this on his own.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 02

_**'And So We Meet Again'**_

Her shoes sat beneath her stool and she sat with her legs tucked beneath her, a pen pressed between her lips, muttering under her breath as she eyed the classified section of the newspaper, and groaned as she stretched.

"You alright?"

"There's nothing." Emerald answered her father as she said "Just pages and pages of jobs that I can't do. The few that I can do, are no longer accepting applications."

"What about that hair and nail salon on Main Street?"

"Dad, chemicals, pregnancy, hello?" Emerald said with a light laugh as Coleman countered, "Didn't you take classes in medical transcription?"

"Mhmm."

"Monica stopped by and posted something on the board for the hospital." Coleman said as Emerald stood and slunk over to the board for community announcements, jobs, etc.

And then she noticed the ad for a roommate, quickly grabbed the slip of paper with the number on it, slid it into her jeans pocket. She loved her father, yes, but she knew he liked his bachelor pad, and her Lily Pulitzer makeup case, her fuzzy pillows, her pink panties, well..

They had to be putting a serious cramp in his style.

And he did have a lady friend, or he had last time they'd spoken, named Kate..

Not to mention, in a few months, it'd be herself AND baby on board, and the place was the size of a cracker box, literally.

She didn't want to be in his way, but she wanted to stay close to him, her daddy was her safety net, of course. He was probably the only man she'd ever trust again, honestly.

"I was thinkin, Emerald.. This weekend.. Feel like hitting up the lake, maybe fishing?"

"I'd love that."

"Good. We haven't done that in a while, princess." Coleman said as he watched Michael III sitting at a table nearby, watching her, but pretending not to, while he read the newspaper, drank a cold beer after work.

"I'll bait my hooks this time, pops. I'm a big girl now." Emerald joked as Coleman laughed and said "We'll see, princess." while ruffling her hair.

She sat back down, looking at the number to the person advertising for a roommate. "Job first, then I can stop by and at least attempt to state my interest." she reminded herself as her father sat down a bowl of cereal in front of her, plus a big vitamin that looked like a tranquilizer for a horse.

"What is that?"

"It's a prenatal vitamin, princess. You need to take 'em." Coleman stated as he asked teasingly, "Aww, does my 'big girl' want daddy to cut the pill in half?"

"Kiss my tanned ass, daddy." Emerald joked back as she sniffed the air, then groaned as she asked, "What is that smell.. Good lord, it's so yummy."

Without looking up, but with a little laugh, Michael called out, "My dad's coffee shop is next door.. He's trying some new kind of cookie? Apparently your dad gave him the recipe."

"Daaad.. You gave him the pralines recipe?" Emerald asked as Coleman snickered and then called out jokingly, "Ya think those smell good, Mikey.. You should try the ones Em makes. She learnt how in college. Something her sorority had to do."

"Dad, seriously?" Emerald hissed as Coleman shrugged and smiled, walked down the bar to tend to some of the guys on the end, take their drink orders.

"Dad, I'm gonna go for that interview at the hospital okay?"

"Be careful.. And no docks after dark."

"Dad, I'm an adult.. I took jijitsu and I have mase, remember?"

"Yeah? Well this isn't that little town your campus is in, baby girl. These people have guns."

"Good point."

She walked out and followed her nose into the cafe right next to the bar, slid onto a stool at the counter and asked, "Please tell me there are more of those praline cookies left, sir?"

The barista slid a few across and smiled as he took her money, then said "These things are going fast. Wonder what's in them?"

"Pecans, caramel, brown sugar.."

"Mmm. I see why now."

She walked out of the cafe, her mouth filled with cookie, as she smacked directly into Michael Corinthos III again.

"We have got to stop meeting like this." she mused, a teasing lilt to her voice as he smiled and said "Yeah.. Hey, my dad was telling me that when we were kids, I might not have been so nice to you.. Both of them, actually.."

She gave him a weird look for a moment, then remembered that AJ was his real father, Sonny was his adoptive father.

"Ahh, gotcha now. Don't worry about it, I mean it's not a big deal.. I was kind of an annoying little shit back then."

"Not really."

"Yes, I was. I should get going.. Interview at the hospital, then I'm checking on a roommate ad."

He smiled, waved her off and then turning around, bumped into Spinelli who asked, "Can the Jackyll inquire who the Young Mr. Sir was talking to just now?"

"An old friend.. Sort of." Michael said as he smiled a little, then realized he had a voicemail. He took the call and smirked to himself a little.. Apparently, the roommate ad she'd picked up earlier, the one she'd mentioned briefly, well.. It was the one he'd placed last week.

Still, the young man was not convinced that the universe was conspiring..


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 02 PART 02

_**'And So We Meet Again'**_

She looked at her watch, then at the door to the apartment building. Whoever placed the ad must be running late, she figured, as she started to walk away.

The brunette girl and the taller brunette male stopped her and asked, "Have you seen Michael?"

"He lives in this building?"

"That was his apartment you were standing outside of." Kiki stated as Morgan nodded then asked the petite brunette "Do I know you?"

"You might.."

"You look really, really familiar."

"My dad's a bartender at the Floating Rib. He's been there since.. Forever, feels like.. I came whenever he bought me here, when my boarding schools were out on vacation or something."

Kiki spoke up and asked, "Were you here for the roommate interview?" as she smiled at the other girl a little, wary of her.

Naturally, the feelings she'd felt and still felt for Michael, well, they made her wary of anyone who showed an interest in Morgan's older brother. But she was married now, to Morgan..

She tried her best to shut off the feelings she felt for his brother, she really did. But she and Morgan fought a lot it seemed like.

"Yeah."

"Okay, cool.. Well, my brother just texted, he's on his way up." Morgan said as he noticed that the petite brunette seemed to be getting a little pale beneath her tan, almost like she felt sick.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, promise." Emerald answered the other brunette female as she said "Nerves or something, I don't know."

"You sure?" Morgan asked as Emerald nodded and then said "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Well, I'm Kiki and he's Morgan." Kiki said, introducing herself. Emerald shook her hand and then smiling weakly said "I'm Emerald."

"Whoa.. You were always here with Coleman.." Morgan finally caught on as Emerald nodded and smiled then said "Yeah, he's my dad. I didn't come here much.. Surprised anyone really remembers me."

Kiki watched the two of them talking, keeping her thoughts to herself. She found herself a little jealous for some odd reason, it seemed like Morgan was trying to be charming or something.

As they stepped onto the elevator, she punched his arm and said "Really? You flirt with her? And I'm like, right here?"

"Yeah? Well you did kiss my brother, babe." Morgan smirked casually as he said quietly, "Sorry.. I'm just.. It's just.. Nothing, forget it."

"What was wrong with her, I wonder, though? I mean I kind of feel bad about leaving her there by herself to wait on Michael to show up.."

"Me too."

Michael stepped off the elevator, smiled to himself a little. "So.. We meet again."

"Yes, apparently, we do." Emerald said, her face reddening beneath her tan.

"So, do you still wanna interview me, or should I go?" she asked a few minutes later, Michael nodding and shrugging said with a slight smile, "Not like it'll matter, right?"

"It can't hurt anything.." Emerald said cautiously, as Michael remembered his father AJ's advice from earlier in the day, when he'd told him about the situation with Emerald, how they seemed to bump into one another constantly.

"How'd it go at the hospital?" Michael asked, remembering she'd had a job interview there.

"It went pretty good.. I start work tomorrow, Nurse Epiphany Johnson seems to think I'm going to run from there, tearing my hair out. Says that the transcriptionists catch hell, especially the ones who work in ER."

Michael chuckled and then said "They kinda do."

"Ughh, no." Emerald said as she stepped into the apartment, looked around.

"Yeah, it's a mess."

"Actually, I can safely say, Michael, you are probably the neatest guy I've ever met." Emerald said as she smiled at him then asked, "What made you advertise for a roommate?"

"Place is empty.." Michael muttered, not adding that he got lonely, thought it'd be nice to have someone to talk to. And as they stood talking, he found himself glad that he'd even placed the ad now.

But still reluctant to admit that Fate was definitely working way overtime, lately.

"So.. Do you want to be my roommate?" Michael asked after they'd talked a little longer. Emerald thought it over for a few moments, and then said with a shrug, "Why not.. It's not like anything will be awkward." as she smiled at him.

As she pushed the button on the elevator, she groaned as she realized that her ex was standing in the lobby of the building.

"Just fuckin great." she muttered to herself as she blended with some of the other tenants, ducked and took the stairs down to her car, getting in, in a hurry.

Michael stepped off the elevator, she'd left her phone, he was going to catch her and give it back, but the man stepped in his way and asked with a smirk, "What the fuck do you think you're doin with my girl, man?"

"Emerald?"

"Yeah. My woman. She left me, I came to take her ass back home. The nerve of her, trying to run when she's carrying MY kid."

Michael smirked at the man and then leaning in said casually, "Funny.. But I'm betting if she left a prize like you, she had a pretty damn good reason. And trust me.. The only way you're getting near her now, is through me."

"How the hell do you even know her, punk?"

"She's an old friend."

"She fuckin you behind my back? Is that what this is? She been sneakin up here when I'm gone?"

Michael simply shrugged as he motioned for the security guard. But when the man swung, he swung back, laid the man flat on his back on the lobby floor as he said with a calm smirk, "I told you.. The only way you get near her, man, is through me. I saw what you did to her, the old bruises and scars."

"We'll see about that." he growled as he tried to stand, got tasered back down and dragged out of the building and to PCPD.

"If she hadn't taken me up on the offer to be my roommate, I'd have made her anyway, somehow." he muttered to himself as he watched the police dragging the man away.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 03 PART 01

_**' Re - Acquainting Ourselves '**_

"That's the last of it." Emerald said as she flopped onto the couch, and proceeded to overdramatically say "And sir, I do declare.. This southern belle is right famished."

Michael snickered as he raised a brow, asked her, "Where did you live at when you didn't come here?"

"My daddy and I had a houseboat and a beach house in Mobile. I was a total beach brat growing up, it was amazing. I love the ocean." Emerald said as Michael flopped down into the chair, and said quietly, "I went to my dad's island once.. I was kind of protecting my younger half sister, Kristina.. But I loved it there."

"Lucky shit, you have a whole freakin island? And you're not living on it, because?" Emerald asked as she reached for the soda sitting on the black and chrome coffee table in front of the couch, Michael chuckling, handing her the soda before she quote 'fell on her head' end quote.

"I was not gonna fall, Michael." Emerald poked her tongue out in a teasing manner as she said quietly, "Back to the island, Michael.. The fishing there.. Is it good?"

"You fish?"

"All the time.. You're lookin at Mobile County's Father Daughter Fishing Rodeo champ, 4 years in a row, bud." Emerald said as she added, "Some of daddy's old friends had this shrimping boat, we all used to go out on it for weeks at a time, I did a lot of deep sea fishing. You've never been fishing? You're shitting me, right?"

"Nope."

She giggled and then sat upright, looked at him for a moment, biting her lip. "Sunday, you come with me and daddy then. It's high time you actually caught your own dinner, Michael."

"Whoa, you sure about that, I mean.. Couldn't help but overhear earlier this week when we were at the Floating Rib.."

"Dang it. I'm gonna tell you like I keep tellin daddy.. I'm pregnant, not terminal." Emerald said as she smiled at Michael and said quietly, "Besides.. Daddy started me when I was old enough to hold a pole in my hands."

Michael chuckled and then said "I can go, but I have to spend a little time with AJ. He's kind of going through things."

"Yeah.. The whole Kiki's Not A Q thing, right?"

"Basically, yeah. He had a lot riding on her being an heir."

"Ya know, you are nothing like I thought you'd grow up to be, Michael." Emerald blurted as Michael raised a brow, his face reddening a little as he coughed to clear his throat and said quietly, "Thanks, I think?"

"No, trust me, it's a damn good thing." Emerald said as she smiled and then said "I'm sorry, I'm apparently still an annoying little shit."

"Nope. You actually didn't turn out how I figured you would, either.. I thought that considering you spent all your time in boarding schools with other stuck up girls, you'd wind up like them."

"Me? You serious?" Emerald asked as she laughed a little then said "Thanks.. My dad, he did his best to keep me down to Earth."

"Yeah, he's good about stuff like that. That guy is the most laid back guy I have ever really met. I used to wonder how exactly he and Sonny became friends."

"Me too."

"So you went to the University of Alabama?"

"Roll Tide, babe." Emerald said as she sighed and said "I went for two semesters before I managed to get myself right in the middle of the shit storm of the century.. I should have listened to my dad, but no.. I had to think he'd actually be a good guy.. Nope, he was every bit the scoundrel that my daddy said he'd be."

Michael chuckled and then asked, "What were you going to major in?"

"Don't think I'm a nerd or something.. I wanted to either major in medicine, or early child education. I still might enroll in online courses, actually. I mean just because my life's sort of at the low right now, doesn't mean I can't honest to God make something of it."

"Good point." Michael said thoughtfully as he smiled at her.

"So, what about you? I mean I've been sitting here, telling you everything about me, I know nothing of you since the time I kinda busted you in the eye with a sand shovel." Emerald teased with a slight grin as Michael sighed and then said quietly, "You're probably gonna hear it from everybody else in town, I might as well tell you now. I had some really, really bad things happen to me.. I kinda missed half my teenage years because I was in a coma.."

"Wow.. Okay, what happened? If I'm not being too nosy?"

"No, it's fine.. Some guy had a hit on my dad, thanks to my ex stepmother Claudia, and somehow, I got shot instead. For a while, when I came out of it, I blamed Sonny, but now I'm older, I realize what happened.. After that, I started having these episodes where I lost my temper really, really easily, and almost to the point of blacking out.."

"Yeah? But you're okay now, right?"

"Yeah, for the most part." Michael said as he continued finally, "Then Claudia, she snapped and tried to kidnap my baby sister, Joss.. So I lost it on her, and when I caught her trying to hurt my baby sister, I accidentally killed her. I wanted to confess, but my parents wanted to cover for me, because of how it happened.."

Emerald sucked in a breath and then laid her hand on his shoulder carefully as she said "Hey.. You don't have to tell me this stuff it you don't want to."

"But you've told me everything about you, almost." Michael pointed out, before continuing, "No, I need to get this all out now. That way if you decide not to keep living here, or even being a friend.."

"Hey.. Look at me, Mr. I'm not that kinda girl. I judge by what I see sittin in front of me now. And what I see sittin in front of me now, is a man I wish to all hell I'd have been around more to get to know."

"Thanks. I mean I'm not some saint though.." Michael trailed off as Emerald gave him a glare then said "But nobody expects you to be perfect."

He nodded, took a few more deep breaths and then continued, "I went to Pentonville Prison for a while and by the time I got out, I was 18, a senior in high school with rage issues, and some stuff that happened to me in prison weighing on me heavily. I'm actually still dealing with what happened to me in prison." Michael admitted as he avoided looking at her, not wanting to lose the first actual female friend he'd had in a long time. Probably since Abby.

He and Starr kind of skipped the friendship phase, he thought, and he also wondered sometimes if that's not what messed them up so badly in the end.

And he really couldn't call Kiki a friend, not given what he'd thought he felt for her, originally.

"Whoa... What did happen to you in.." she asked as she trailed off, started putting two and two together, realized that he must have been raped. She sighed quietly and shook her head as she said "Don't answer that. You don't have to.. I just guessed. God, Michael, I am so sorry.. I know, that was probably the lamest thing I could possibly say.." she muttered as she looked at her hands awkwardly, then eventually up at him and admitted quietly, "I never actually consented to sex with my jerk of an ex either.. I don't.. I haven't told anyone, because my dad would murder him and.."

Michael looked at her and then said quietly, " should tell someone what really happened though.. Holding it in.. It doesn't ever help, trust me. I held it in until this guy, Franco, outed me."

"I want to, but I'm afraid of what people will think about me, especially considering I am not giving up my baby." Emerald said quietly as she sighed and then added quietly, "I'm sorry. I really am."

"Me too. And I'm definitely not gonna let your ex near you."

"Whoa.. How'd you know he was here?" Emerald asked quickly, her defenses going up as she fixed her eyes on him intently.

"Because he sort of found me when I walked down to the lobby after you, and we had words. I punched him.." Michael admitted as Emerald bit her lip and asked, "That son of a bitch.. He didn't do anything to you or say anything threatening, did he?"

"Whoa, calm down."

"No, the hell I am not, Michael, you're my friend, you're an innocent bystander in all this, I'm the one who made this mess."

"You didn't make a mess. You just trusted someone. It's called a mistake, Emerald." Michael said quietly as he looked at her and asked, "Why didn't you say anything to your dad?"

"Because, I'm trying to handle this on my own. I'm trying to be an adult."

"There's being an adult, Em, and then there's being stupid about something. That guy looked dangerous."

"Hence the reason I've talked to the local police about him, filed a report. If he gets within a foot of me, I can have him thrown in jail."

"He deserves to go under the jail." Michael said quietly as Emerald nodded in agreement then said "Sorry I came unglued, it's just.. I'm not used to having many people in my life, other than my dad, the girls in my sorority.. I'm sort of a private person."

"Yeah.. But this is something you don't need to be private about, Em."

"Okay, Mike.. Point taken." Emerald said as she smiled at him weakly then added, "Hope to hell you broke his nose though."

"Oh trust me, he went down." Michael smirked as Emerald giggled and then stood, mocking a clumsy boxers stance. Michael laughed and standing said "You're doing it completely wrong. It goes like.." he stood behind her, moved her arms and feet into the correct form as he finished, "Like this."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"No wonder people laughed their ass off when I sparred."

"And you don't fold your thumb in either. Unless of course, you want it broken." Michael chuckled as he fixed her thumbs then said with a smirk, "Try it."

"Swing at you?" she asked with her brow raised.

"Miss, but yeah, swing."

She swung and he ducked, jokingly reversed the hold. In a way, he was trying to teach her a little self defense, he worried a lot since they'd started becoming friends again when she came back to town, given the run in he'd had with her ex.

"Hey.. What the hell was that?"

"That's what you do if someone swings at you." Michael said quietly as he suddenly noticed how close they were standing. "You wanna try?" he asked to keep things neutral, not so damn tense.

"Sure. Okay, swing." Emerald said as she smirked to herself. When he swung, she did a jijistsu defensive block, grabbing his arm, giggling as she looked at him with a semi innocent smirk as if to say 'Oops?'

"Okay, where did you learn that?"

"Jijitsu?" she asked with a giggle, her hand on her mouth.

He stood, picked her up over his shoulder and spun around a little, now the two of them were sort of wrestling around in the middle of the living room, Michael being careful not to do something that'd hurt her or the baby she was carrying.

Until, of course, a throat cleared from above and Carly asked with a raised brow, "Interrupting something?" as she eyed her son's new roommate warily.

On the one hand, she was glad that this girl was NOT Kiki.. On the other, she didn't really know her too well, and she didn't know if she liked the idea of her son having a female roommate, especially one who was supposedly about a month or so pregnant.

She just didn't want Michael getting hurt if say this girl turned out to be a gold digger.

"No ma'am." Emerald said quickly as she jumped up and rubbed the back of her neck, falling silent. She got the distinct feeling that for some reason, Michael's mother didn't really trust her. She had the passing thought that maybe it had something to do with who Michael's fathers were, but she kept the thought to herself.

"I was showing Emerald some self defense." Michael blurted quickly as Emerald spoke up and said "And I was showing him that I took a few jijitsu classes."

Carly nodded, still not entirely convinced she hadn't interrupted something.. She knew her son, she'd seen him in flirting mode over the years, he appeared to be, now, with his new roommate.

"So you're Coleman's little girl.. What was that like?" Carly asked, making it obvious that she knew Coleman had to have been a man of little money. If she were a gold digger, Carly wanted to nip this in the bud now, intimidate her.

Emerald, however, seemed amused by the question and Carly's hidden meaning behind it, and she said calmly, "Oh trust me. It was definitely not normal. We were always on his house boat or at his beach house, and into something. We did everything together, fishing, you name it."

Carly wrinkled her nose in distaste at the fishing thing, and Emerald smirked a little. So she had been insinuating that Emerald was after Michael only because of his 'money' and family ties. She found herself thinking, 'Bet she's never once caught and skinned, then cooked her own meal.' and almost bursting into laughter at the thought, but luckily, she held it.

The door shut and Michael turned to her and then said "Wow.. I'm sorry about my mom, she's.."

"Michael, trust me.. I've dealt with overprotective parents, hello? My daddy liked to answer the door with a gun on his person and a liquor bottle in his hand to sort of dissuade the boys from talkin to me.. So I get it. I'm not offended. I do find it amusing though."

"It was."

They both began to laugh a little as she said "It's nice having someone to actually talk to."

"It is." Michael said as they both just looked at one another for a little while.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 03 PART 02

_**' Motherly Warning, Fatherly Advice and Friendly Wisdom.. Which One Is Right?'**_

"So, your mom told me something." AJ started as he winced, the pain from the hangover he'd drank himself right into the night before, hitting him like a train. But in some ways, even though he knew it was stupid, and he knew he was spiralling again, he also knew that he was sick of people misjudging him. He was sick of everything being taken from him.

"Oh great, and here it goes again.. I thought at least you, AJ would be the non judgemental 3rd party. Let me guess. Mom thinks me letting Emerald Ratcliffe be my roommate is a bad idea, and you're agreeing with her.. Am I even close to correct?" Michael asked, the anger he felt at his mom and his father, AJ's appraisal of the situation when for one thing, they didn't even understand it, they were just writing her off based on her father's wild past, on her being pregnant, alone in a big city..

"Yeah.. I know, girls can be sweet.. I know she might seem like she's not doing it, but what if your mother's right, Michael, she is trying to trap you? I mean you two just ran into one another again what, last week and now she's your roommate? I just don't want to see you getting hurt.. Or getting played by a girl who's only out to get something out of it."

"Whoa.. Slow down, AJ.. Look, I'm glad you're concerned.. I'm glad you're trying to be my dad, be a part of my life but for one thing, Emerald hasn't once made a pass at me and another, we're just friends. She actually doesn't want my money, nor does she want either of my last names. I knew Mom was going to go to you or to Sonny, get one of you to butt in." Michael fumed a moment as he took a deep breath and calmed down then said "Sorry.. I'm really not sure why I got so mad."

"Your mom's getting her looked into.. And some of the stuff she's found?"

"AJ, first of all, I'm not a saint."

"Yes, Michael, but you should at least listen to this.. That guy she's being pursued by? He's not just some guy.. He's dangerous. He's been to prison, more than once. Your mother's afraid that if he thinks you're a threat.."

Michael grumbled to himself as he sent a left hook to the punching bag he stood in front of, concentrating all of his energy on working out, the words his father was saying going in one ear, directly out the other.

"So?"

"Well, there's the fact that she's pregnant, Michael."

"And you're concerned about that, why? She's just my roommate, AJ. That's where it ends." Michael said as he thought to himself bitterly, _'And even if I wanted more, she might not. I haven't been doing so well in the romantic angle of life.'_

AJ sighed as he said quietly, "You are a Quartermaine, son.. With that name comes the realization that people you surround yourself with might only want to know you for your money, the doors that will open from them knowing you."

Michael gaped at his father and then laughing said "Wow.. You really sounded like an asshole just then."

"What? It's true. I mean our family has been ripped off too many times to count over the years. I just don't want to see you get involved with this girl and be hurt.. Like you were when Kiki chose Morgan?"

He gritted his teeth. AJ saying those words, it struck a chord with him. He had felt something for Kiki. And he had wanted to explore it. But, she'd come to town with her mother, the same intentions in mind that AJ was now accusing Emerald of, when he barely knew Emerald. Michael realized in slight shock that this bothered him. People judging Emerald just because of who her father was, and how little money they actually had. They barely knew her and he'd considered her a friend, even when they were kids the few times he got to see her, and she annoyed him nearly to death.

"Low blow, AJ."

"Son, I'm just trying to help you before you make the same mistakes I made at your age. You're a trusting guy, that's a lot of your problem. You wear your heart on your sleeve and you really don't do a whole lot of thinking about what good will come out of something for you. This latest situation, son, I only see bad."

"Yeah, well you got played by mom, so.."

"Low blow, Michael."

"It's the truth. She essentially did to you what you two are convinced Emerald is doing to me. By the way, she's not, she's not even remotely interested in me or my money. I know this because she sort of tunes out anything ELQ related when I grumble about work. Then there's the fact that she doesn't know just how much money they have, and she's never bothered to ask."

"Because if she is pulling one over on you, son, she's already done her research." AJ said gently as Elizabeth spoke up from behind and asked casually, "Oh so I suppose if you didn't know me, you'd assume the same about me?"

"I didn't say that."

"You implied it.. The implication was there, AJ, all women are only after money and security. Look, I've met her. I have no problems with her, actually, she works her ass off when she's at the hospital."

"So? Maybe she's putting on an act."

"Or maybe she honestly doesn't want your money." Liz said as she pointed out to Michael who nodded and managed a thank you smile at his father's girlfriend. "Dont' fight, guys, I didn't mean for.."

"It's not you, Michael, it's.. it's me.. Lately, we've been arguing nonstop. If I never would have gotten insecure and accused her of going behind my back with Cassadine, we wouldn't be having so much trouble."

"No, AJ, if you'd never slept with mom, again." Michael said as AJ nodded in agreement then said "But your mother and I do agree about Emerald.. We're just not too sure she should be roommates with you."

"Thanks for the concern, AJ, but, I'm an adult now. She's paying rent, so I'm not throwing her out just because you think this is some hidden agenda to get her claws into me or something."

"Even your aunt Tracy agrees."

This statement had Michael snickering and then grabbing his sides in laughter as he looked up and said "AJ? Aunt Tracy thinks everyone wants a piece of ELQ."

"She's usually good at this stuff though."

"Not this time."

"Why are you arguing about it, Michael, if you two are simply roommmates?" AJ asked with a smirk as Michael gave his father a dirty look and said "I'm gonna go for a jog now."

It was sort of the first time he and his biological father had really argued about anything since AJ had come back into his life, and right now, Michael needed to think.. Emerald had been living with him for almost 3 weeks by now, and she just didn't seem like the kind of girl who'd do that sort of thing to him.

Then again, he once thought Abby would be with him for a long time, and Starr wouldn't just walk away, break up with him via cell phone message. He'd been wrong two times before.

He walked into his mom's house and Carly asked "Well? Did AJ talk to you? Sonny said I'm just overreacting, refused to. But I really think she's after something, Michael. Showing up now, especially."

"Mom, just don't. I can't listen to anymore. I keep telling you and AJ that she's just my roommate, my friend."

"It didn't look like it when I bumped into you two at 9 last night at Kelly's."

"We joke around a lot." Michael explained as Carly patted the couch next to her and said quietly, "I know.. You're hurting because of what Kiki did, how your brother's acting. But did you ever think that maybe you're projecting with Emerald? And she's pregnant, Michael, and her baggage.. What if her ex hurts you?"

"I can take care of myself, mom."

"I know, but you're my son. I just.. I worry about you, so much has happened to you and you didn't deserve any of it."

"I know, mom.. But you don't know her, okay?"

"I know she's Coleman's daughter, that in itself speaks volumes."

"You do realize she knows you and AJ don't like her, right? And she really doesn't care. It actually amuses her. If she were after my money, or me, or someone to hide behind, don't you think she'd be upset? She'd be bending over backwards to make sure you guys like her. She's not. She's just being herself."

Carly pondered that a few moments.. It wasn't that she didn't like Emerald, she was just scared that her son was setting himself up for heartache down the line at some point.

She didn't want to see him hurting again. She wanted what any mother would for her son, to see them happy, healthy.

But what he said did make a little sense. She wasn't going to become the girls biggest fan by any means, but she wasn't going to push so hard.. If she did, she'd just drive them together, look at what good it'd done her for Morgan and Kiki.

"I'm gonna go now, Mom. Is that all you wanted to talk to me about, or is there something wrong?" Michael asked, dropping the subject before it got any more out of hand. He'd heard enough for one day.

As he walked back to his apartment building, he just sort of thought about why it was bothering him, the two of them judging her as they seemed to. He thought they were only friends.. She acted as if they were just friends.. Was there something sort of brewing there?

He sat down on the edge of the pier, dangling his legs into the water as he leaned back, looked up at the sky, thought about it a few minutes. The sudden appearance of Spinelli had him jumping a little and Spinelli sat down and asked, "What's troubling Young Mr. Sir tonight?"

"You've met Emerald, right?"

"Yes, indeed I have. She's spoken to the Jackyll's significant other, Ellie Trout."

"What do YOU think of her?"

"I like her. The question is, young mr. sir, how do YOU feel about her?"

"She's my friend, but.." Michael said as he bit his lip, went quiet and then said "If uncle Jason were here, he'd know what to say."

"Perhaps I can try to help?"

"Sure.. So my mom and AJ seem to think that for some reason she's after my money or the names associated with me. They barely know her. I don't think she is, but I've been wrong about a lot before."

Spinelli sighed and said "Whatever happens, listen to your heart. The Jackyll thinks that if Stone Cold were here, Stone Cold would say this very thing to Young Mr. Sir."

"Thanks, Spinelli." Michael said as he stood, helped Spinelli up and then said "I'm gonna get back to the apartment. It's getting late."

"Remember.. Listen to your heart." Spinelli called out as he smiled to himself. Maybe he did his mentor justice in giving that advice just now.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 03 PART 03

_**' Can We Pretend That Airplanes In The Night Sky Are Shooting Stars? I Could Really Use A Wish Right Now..'**_

Michael sat at the grave, looked at the name, the dates on it, twisting his thumbs together. Spinelli gave him some really good advice a few days before, now he was sitting here, waiting on some kind of sign that showed him that maybe, just maybe, his late uncle Jason agreed with the advice. He jumped with a start when he heard Sam talking from behind him.

"Are you alright, Michael?"

"Yeah, just thinking, Sam."

"Me too.. I miss him."

"Do you ever wonder if everyone's wrong?"

"All the time, Michael.. You know, in a lot of ways, you remind me a lot of Jason. I can see a lot of the sweet and calm quiet goodness he had within himself, in you."

"Doubt it, Sam, but thanks." Michael muttered quietly as Sam sat down, asked in concern, "Something on your mind?"

"Just this situation I'm in right now.. On the one hand, I don't want to mess up a friendship, on the other.. I don't want to let her slip away. But my mom, AJ, Aunt Tracy, even, they all think she's got bad intentions, and that's the only reason she's even with me.."

"Whoa, who? Not Kiki, right?"

"No.. I'm pretty much done with that. She made her choice, she seems to be okay with it.. No, I'm talking about Emerald Ratcliffe."

"Your mom's got me looking into her." Sam said quietly as she took a deep breath and said "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.." laughing for a moment then explaining what she meant, "Your mom.. We've been friends for a while now, I've heard her story, how she came to town to ruin her mother, how she took you, went on the run with Jason."

"She said it was to protect me."

"It was, but she was also sort of playing Jason off of AJ.. What I meant in saying what I did just now, Michael, is that you have to find the answer in your own heart, in your own mind.. This is a situation you cannot listen to AJ or Tracy, or even your mom about.. If you're getting feelings, you need to decide if you can do this for the long haul. She's the pregnant girl, Coleman's daughter, right?"

"Yeah."

"You do realize that Coleman's not actually her father, right? He found her out behind the bar, raised her as his own. I sort of found the documents when I was looking into her for your mom."

"Yeah.. She told me."

"Did she tell you about her ex?"

Michael nodded, took a deep breath then admitted sheepishly, "I came here, thought Jason would give me some kind of sign."

"Me too, Michael."

"Wait, what's wrong?"

"They found a marrow donor for Danny.. And he's my real father.. And I did some digging into the name he gave my mom.. It's an alias.. Which means he could be just as toxic for my mom, for me.. Nevermind, it's stupid.. I'm a grown ass woman, I don't and shouldn't need my dad.. But you'd think that after not having one for so long, I'd be fine.. I'm not.."

Michael sighed.. He was beginning to realize that Jason might have meant for them to have been each other's signs. "Speaking from experience, sometimes, people make mistakes, Sam.. If the man really wants to be in your life, be in Danny's life.. You could try.. It never hurts to try.. Even when AJ makes me mad, I'm glad I gave him another chance, because I think we needed each other."

"What's he have to say about Emerald?"

"He's under the same impression mom is. It keeps pissing me off, but I can't figure out why.." Michael said as he sighed then admitted, "Jason told me once.. Everything would be okay again.. And I didn't really believe it until recently, when I just tried, for the sake of Jason, mostly, to let my dad in."

"Yeah.. Do you think this girl might be a part of it?"

"To some degree, yes."

"I've seen her around, she was fishing off the pier with her dad earlier."

"Yeah, apparently, she's craving fried fish.."

Sam grimaced and then said "Well, it makes sense, I mean Coleman said himself he mostly raised her on the beach and a boat." as she asked, " So.. Did our talk help any? I don't like seeing you upset. We were close."

"Yeah.. It actually did, I think." Michael mused as he looked up at the sky, mouthed thank you.. If only either of them realized that the real Jason was actually standing just a few feet away, he just didn't really remember who he was or why he was drawn to Port Charles just yet...

Michael shoved his fists in the jacket he was wearing, walked into his apartment building.. He'd just gotten off the lift on his floor when he smirked, sniffing the air.

"Guess that means the kitchen is actually being used." he mumbled to himself as he raked his hands through his hair, turned the key in the lock of his door, stood in the doorway of the kitchen, trying not to burst into laughter, as he watched her dancing around and singing off key in the kitchen.

She turned around, grinned as she said "How long have you been standin there?"

"Long enough.. You have a little bit of flour, right there..." he muttered as he leaned in, trailed his thumb over the freckled bridge of her nose, asked "How was the fishing trip?"

"It was good.. Daddy rubbed it in my face totally when he caught a bigger fish than me, but.. I still caught more. Thank God, because do you realize there is like, nowhere on Main Street that sells fish or even cooks seafood?"

"They do, just not a whole lot." Michael said as he slid off his jacket and then looked around, shook his head.. "Thought you were going to use your day off to sleep in?"

"Hey.. The place needed cleaning. I am living here, I am gonna do that." Emerald said as she gently shoved his shoulders, shoving him down into a chair. "How was your day?"

"Well, it was filled with the usual until a few minutes ago.. I kinda went by to see Jason's grave and think about stuff."

"What stuff?"

"It's not important.. Not right now, anyway." Michael said as he watched her moving around the room..

"Aww, that's not fair, now I'm really curious. I met the sweetest girl earlier, Molly I think she said her name was? We talked about books. Think that if I stick around after my baby comes, I'm definitely gonna keep her number, in case I ever need a sitter and Daddy's workin."

"Yeah, Molly's sweet. So.. She get you to read The Mortal Insturments?"

"Actually, yeah. I'm gonna try and check it out.. I've heard it's supposed to be good. I warned her away from 50 Shades.. That series was sick, not kinky."

Michael snickered, remembering her 'dramatic reading' of the books every now and then over the past few weeks. "Yeah.. It seemed kinda gross.. But then again, I've never actually tried anything, you know.."

"Me either." Emerald blurted, averting her eyes as she said quietly, "Sadly, that one time was the only time." biting her lower lip. "Some girl called here earlier, Starr?"

"What'd she want?"

"Told me to make sure I took care of you, said she's sending something back to you through the mail, she packed it when she left, didn't mean to?"

Michael nodded then said "She's my ex girlfriend.. The one that texted or voice mailed to break up?"

"Wow.. That's bad."

"Yeah."

"Ooh, look.. Rocky's on.. Can we watch?" Emerald asked, making begging eyes as she looked at him. Something else Jason said about Sam came back to him for some reason, just then and he found himself smiling as he sat the remote down, let her wiggle into a comfortable position after sitting a plate full of food in his lap.

He raised his brow, she shrugged and then said "Just try it, sheesh. It's fish, not tofu." as she giggled and held out a can of root beer. "You have to drink it with this.. That's the way we always eat it, where I lived."

"Really.."

"Really."

She smiled, digging into her own food, talking through a mouth full, mimicking Rocky's yelling "ADRIAN" on the movie.

Then it hit him.. This felt normal.. There was nothing awkward, nothing hidden, nothing threatening to ruin the moment. Just two people, sharing an apartment, watching tv together while bitching collectively about their day.

And he felt like they kept getting closer, also..


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 03 PART 04

_**' Can We Pretend That Airplanes In The Night Sky Are Shooting Stars? I Could Really Use A Wish Right Now.. continued'  
**_

Carly knocked on the apartment door, holding Josslyn's hand. She didn't want to leave Joss here, not with that stranger living with Michael, but she had no choice. Jax was gone on vacation with Brenda, Sam was working, and she'd spit nails before she left Jossy with Morgan and Kiki, because she hated Kiki.

"Might make Michael realize he doesn't want to have kids yet, nor does he want to be tied down to anyone who's going to be raising one." Carly muttered to herself as she knocked again.

"Mommy, are you sure it's okay?" Josslyn asked as she studied her mother intently. She didn't understand why her mom seemed to dislike the girl who lived with Michael, really, but then again, she'd only really seen her, she'd never actually met her.

"It's going to be fine, Jossy. Mommy just needs to do something at work, and then she'll be right back to get you, promise." Carly said as she picked up her daughter and gave her a kiss.

Michael opened the door, smiled as he took his baby sister from his mom then asked, "Everything okay at the Metro Court, Mom?"

"We had that huge wedding there this weekend, and there's a problem with the set up in the dining area for the reception.. I have to go over now and see what in the name of God is going on.. Are you sure you don't mind watching Josslyn?"

"No, mom."

"How about your new little 'friend'? She's okay with it, right?"

"Not sure why it matters, but yeah, she was happy about it. She's gone to her dad's to pull out some board game she has, says she'll play it with her. Mom, I'm telling you, she's not what you think she is."

"I'm not saying I'm crazy about her, but I'm just dealing with the fact that you're living with a girl roommate, you seem to be falling for her but you refuse to admit it, and she's pregnant." Carly said quietly as Michael tried not to laugh.

When were his parents going to realize he was grown now, he was going to do whatever he wanted with his life? Then he realized that she'd basically guessed what he was only just now figuring out, reluctant to admit to himself. He was, in fact, falling for her. And it kind of scared him. Every other time, he got it wrong. He couldn't help but be worried that this time, it'd be no different.

Then again, he had to laugh at himself, because he was jumping totally ahead of himself, as usual, overanalzying something before it'd happened.. he didn't even know if she liked him as more than a friend, if she saw him in any other way.

And he wasn't sure how to go about figuring that out, without asking her directly and looking like an idiot, making things awkward.

Meanwhile, Emerald rummaged through the small closet in her father's living room. "Are you sure it's even here, daddy?"

"It is. Take Twister too.. Kids love that game."

"Sure they do, Dad. Real subtle.. Can't really do Twister, remember? Pregnant?"

"Ya can, just don't do ALL the movements, silly."

"Ughh, seriously, daddy?"

Coleman shrugged then said "Just trying to help, sheesh. Anyone with half a brain knows you like the guy, just give in already, sweet pea."

"Daaaad. I told you.. going asexual, remember? Besides.. Even if I DID like him.. He'd never go for me. Just trust me.. He probably goes for the models."

"Sure.. That's why he was with that Abby chick.. Or Starr.. Hell, it might just be a daddy's biased opinion, sweet pea, but you're a hell of a lot better lookin. He'd have to count himself lucky to have you."

"Dad, stop.. Please? Look, I know you want to see me happy, but maybe my happiness isn't all tied up in some guy.. I need to at least figure out what makes me happy, for myself, rather than throwing myself into something just because I THINK it might make me happy.."

"Just saying, sweet pea.. Sometimes, happiness, is right under your nose.. Come over here, sit down.. I'm gonna tell you something. I haven't told you this before, because I didn't want to upset you, or have you take it wrong.. You're old enough now."

"What, daddy?" Emerald asked as she sat down, waiting. Coleman dug around in the table beside his favorite recliner, pulled out their photo album, then handed her a note.

_To whoever finds my little girl.._

_I've placed her here, I've chosen you to take her. I've watched you for a while now, though you'd never know it. You look lost, like there's something missing, and you don't know what it is.. But I know you're a kind man, you'll do what's best for my girl and she'll be happier, healthier than she would if she were to remain with me. I'm dying, you see, and I won't be able to raise her._

_I know you don't have much money, but that's not what's important. She needs love. She needs someone that will be there for her, no matter what. She needs a best friend, someone to take her fishing, on other adventures.. That someone, I've deduced, Coleman Ratcliffe, is you. I want you to take her, be her father, her best friend, the first man she loves._

_Maybe you'll show her this one day, maybe you won't. But I know you, even though you act one way, chances are, you will be totally honest with her, and you'll tell her. I hate doing this, I love her so much, but I know you will too._

_Love comes in all forms, when you least expect it. Make sure you tell her that one day, would ya?_

She finished reading and sighed as she said quietly, "Okay, okay.. So I do feel something.. But there's just so much against us right now, I mean his mom and his biological father HATE me, dad. They think I'm a gold digger."

"Sonny told me. Came by for drinks the other night, talk about old times, talk about what's been going on. You can't let that stand in the way. But if you insist on being sure, Em.. Take your time.. I just want you to know that I can tell."

"Guessing this also has to do with Kate? You were really upset when you two ended things."

"Yeah.. I just wish I had another chance.. It's okay though.. I have you, I'm gonna have a grandkid, I'm content." Coleman said as he smiled, hugged his daughter then said "Your mom's right though.. Love comes in all forms, when you least expect it. Just keep that in mind, okay?"

"Okay, daddy. Did you know her?"

Coleman fell silent a few moments then said "Yeah.. She was one of the girls down at that strip club on the docks.. She was sick, dying.. She came into the bar a lot at the end.. Always watched me.. Didn't figure out why until the night I found ya outside with the note."

Emerald hugged her father and then said "Okay, so I have board games, brownie mix.. What else do ya think she'd like to do?"

"Well.. ya do have those dolls."

"Hmm.. And those old Disney movies.. Do you still have the spare VCR?"

"Yeah.. Take it." Coleman waved as she kissed his cheek and then said "For the record, dad, you're right.. And I've sort of realized you are right.. I'm just waiting, seeing how it all goes.. If it's right, sooner or later, it'll click."

"That's a girl. Be patient."

She left her father's apartment, went back to Michael's to find Carly dropping off Josslyn. To her shock, Carly gave a slightish smile, a little nod as she walked in and remarked, "Ooh.. Josslyn, someone's getting brownies, apparently."

"I'll send one back with her." Emerald offered casually, as she managed a smile in return then bending to Josslyn's level asked, "So.. Do you wanna play Candyland first, or do you wanna make brownies."

"Ooh, Michael, can we makes brownies? Pretty please? I won't make a mess."

"Sugar, the only way to do any kind of baking is if you make a mess. But yeah, please, Michael?" she asked, looking up, making puppy eyes at him.

He snickered and said "Sure.. Why not. You should get her to make some of those cookies too, Jossy.. That's where Sonny got the recipe he uses in the coffee house."

"Really?" Josslyn asked as she turned to the girl who lived with her brother, her eyes going big as saucers.

"Really.. We might not have all the stuff..."

"We can go get it." Michael said as he winked casually at Emerald, who smiled, blushed a little beneath her golden tan.

Carly smiled a little and then said casually, "Those are good cookies. I'll be back as soon as I can. We somehow managed to double book two huge weddings."

"Yikes."

"I know. My receptionist has been frazzled lately. Easy mistake.. Now I have to figure out how to have two receptions at once. I've had to do worse." Carly said as Emerald nodded and then said "We don't mind watchin her, do we, Mike?"

"Not at all. I hardly ever get to see my little sister, so I'm glad you dropped her off." Michael said as Carly looked at them, then smiled a little, trying to get herself used to this idea, leaving, walking down to the elevator.

On her way out, she happened to catch a glimpse of the janitor, and she wanted to faint for a moment.. he looked almost like Jason. But it couldn't be him.. Could it?


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 03 PART 05

_**' Can We Pretend That Airplanes In The Night Sky Are Shooting Stars? I Could Really Use A Wish Right Now.. continued'  
**_

He watched them in the kitchen, making brownies, both of them sticky, covered in chocolate, laughing. "Need any help?" Michael asked as he stepped in as Josslyn held out a spoon and said "Here. Taste."

Michael licked the spoon and then tried to dip his finger into the bowl of batter only to have it swatted by Emerald who gave a wink as she seconds later, stuck her own finger in the batter, licked a little then held it out, not even sure why she was flirting with him right now, just knowing it kind of felt right, normal even.

He licked the batter as Josslyn spoke up and asked innocently, "You my brother's new girlfriend? I likes you."

Emerald shook her head and smiling leaned down and whispered to the little girl, "No, I'm not, hon, but I think I like him a lot. Shh.. It's our secret."

Josslyn giggled and then looked at Michael who asked, "Hey?"

" I not supposed to tell. It secret." Josslyn said as she smiled at Michael and mouthed, "Me tell ya later." when Emerald wasn't looking. Emerald found a can of frosting and then said "Mmm.. This should make 'em taste much better. Wanna ice the brownies, Jossy?"

"Can I?"

"Mhmm." Emerald said as she sort of looked at Michael without really looking at him for a few moments, trying to figure out if she should keep subtly flirting with him, or stop altogether. She didn't want to rush and she didn't want him getting hurt, should her ex show up in town..

And she didn't want to let herself get too attached to him, only to have to turn around and leave to keep him, her father and her baby safe from her slightly psychotic ex.

Josslyn giggled as she looked from her big brother to his friend Emerald then asked, "Can we play a board game?"

"Yeah, what do you wanna play, Jossy?"

"Candyland."

"Ooh... Let's set up the board. Good thing you didn't pick Monopoly.. I stink at Monopoly."

"I do too." Michael admitted as they set up the boardgame on the table, started to play while the brownies cooled off in the fridge. The door being knocked on about an hour in had Josslyn pouting when she realized that it was her mommy, coming back to get her.

"Here ya go, sweetie." Emerald said as she cut two brownies, wrapped them carefully in saran wrap and walked to the door with Michael and Josslyn, standing a little closer.

Carly smiled a little as she saw how happy Josslyn seemed to be, having spent time with Michael.. Maybe Emerald wasn't completely bad. Josslyn usually didn't take to new faces that well, she seemed happy around the girl.

It still wasn't enough to entirely convince Carly that Emerald had good intentions where her son was concerned, but she decided to sort of give a little and see what progressed for now.

"Did you have fun?"

"Mhmm. We baked brownies, mama.. And we got 'em everywhere! Emerald say if I wanna come back, I can, whenever I want. Can I, mommy? Please?"

"We'll see, Jossy.. your brother might not want you around all the time, he's pretty tired after work."

"Mom, it's fine. I won't mind, really." Michael said as Carly smiled and then said sheepishly, "In that case.. You two won't mind keeping her this weekend?"

"Nope, not at all."

"Good. I'd prefer to leave her here as opposed to with Brenda and Jax, or Morgan and that.. Kiki." Carly said as Michael sighed and giving a slight smile said "Okay, mom." as he hugged her, let her leave.

She'd just left when Michael walked over to where Emerald sat on the couch and said quietly, "She never really takes to anyone like that."

"All I was doin was playin with her, Mike."

"I know, but to her, that meant a lot. She's the only child at home, she was really upset when Morgan just got married like he did, and I don't think she's really thrilled with Kiki either.."

"She ain't the only one." Emerald muttered as Michael asked, "So you get the same vibe?"

"Yeah. In my defense though, it could be jealousy. She looks at you in this really weird fucking way.. I mean she's not your cousin anymore, but still.. She's married, it's not fair to Morgan how much time she spends trying to find something wrong with me so she can run back and tell you."

"Ahh.. So you know she's been doing that or trying to."

"Yeah, and frankly, all she's doing is makin me laugh. I mean seriously, I'm not gonna hide anything. Why bother hiding it? When it comes out, it's usually ten times worse if it's been hidden than it would have been just to open your mouth, say something."

Michael nodded and then smiled as he said "Yeah.. She's just confused right now.. I mean I won't lie, I thought I was at first.. Now I'm not really sure."

"Yeah.. I know what you mean about being confused.. " Emerald said as she leaned in a little bit because he'd been leaning in first. She'd been trying to get up the nerve to maybe at least kiss his cheek and see how he reacted, make sure she wasn't doing something stupid by acting on her slight crush on her best guy friend, but.. instead, she chickened out and pretended he had some brownie on his face from earlier..

Michael felt slightly disappointed when he thought she was about to kiss him but instead, she cleaned a spot of brownie off of his face. He was trying to work up the courage to kiss her, actually.. Maybe she wasn't interested?

But why'd she seem to be flirting with him even if only a little, earlier?


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 03 PART 06

_**' Can We Pretend That Airplanes In The Night Sky Are Shooting Stars? I Could Really Use A Wish Right Now.. continued'  
**_

"Seriously? You? Again?" Emerald asked as she glared at Kiki, who said simply, "You are up to something and I will find out what. And when I do, I will tell him. I'm not letting you have Michael."

"Here's a little friendly tip, Kiwi, Cray Cray whatever the hell your name is.. You have a husband. Why not try making things between you two right instead of spending all damn day chasin me all over Port Charles? Huh?"

"My name is Kiki." she practically spat as Liz spoke up from behind Emerald and said "And you need to leave, Kiki. Not only is Emerald on the clock, but she's also pregnant, and any added stress is not good for her or her baby. Go do what she says, try and fix things with you and Morgan, stop chasing Michael around. You're the one who caused Michael and Morgan to turn on one another in the first place.. Did it not work out how you planned?"

Kiki growled a little as the door to the lobby/front desk area burst open and Michael ran in, looking like something really, really bad happened. First, he got Liz off to the side and whispered something to her. Emerald looked on in concern, and of course, Carly, who'd been at the hospital already, saw this and this further softened the woman's resolve towards Emerald. She walked over and said calmly, "Stress isn't good for you or the baby.. I'm sure whatever it is, Michael will be okay."

Emerald nodded a little and then said "He just looks so damn upset though." quietly as she bit her lip and walked over to him when he'd finished talking to Liz. He was sitting in a chair, looking at his hands.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really.. It's AJ.. He.. He killed Connie. They just arrested him.. Sonny, he was going to shoot AJ, but thank God, Dante showed up, I showed up and talked him down." Michael admitted as Emerald sighed and sat down after she mouthed to Liz, "I'll only be a few minutes."

"Hey.. Look at me." Emerald said as Michael looked up, torn between anger and being really, really upset. "I let him back in and he does this."

"You tried, Michael.. Look, I'm sure whatever happened will either be straightened out, or something else will happen. The point is, you possibly saved two lives today, you and Dante talking your adoptive father out of killing AJ.. I mean it, Michael. None of this is on you. It's on the two of them." Emerald said as she leaned against him, cautiously putting her arms around him. "I mean it, Mike.. Do not sit around and blame yourself. Or agonize over this. They're both grown ass men who unfortunately, make the worst mistakes."

"Yeah, but.."

"Yeah, but nothing."

Carly spoke up from behind Emerald as she said "As much as it kills me to say this, she's right. She's trying to help you. It's okay to want to talk to someone." Carly said as she gave a smallish smile to the girl she was starting to actually like, even if only a little bit. Maybe she weren't after his money, or somebody to play daddy to her child.

Emerald gave her the same smile she'd been given back.. Maybe his mother was finally melting a little.. She hoped so, because she had this feeling that no matter what she tried, she just wasn't going to be able to stop herself from falling in love with him. Even if everyone on the planet were against it happening.. She'd been spending enough time with him lately to know that she had to admit it.. She'd fallen already, it was too damn late to stop herself now. And even if it weren't, she wasn't entirely sure she'd want to.

Hugging him again, she looked up at him and said quietly, "I'll be outta here by 5. We'll talk then, okay? Until then, if you need anything, you have your mom, your brothers, hell, my cell phone's on and I can at least read your texts." before placing a kiss on his cheek, turning to walk off, let Carly talk to her son. She wanted to be the person who talked to him and helped him right now, but she also knew that just because she'd fallen for him, she couldn't be selfish and try to butt into an obviously private family matter.

Besides, she sort of had this feeling that AJ needed this to make him finally wake up.. If he didn't lose the rest of his time with his son, his family, and what little he had left after losing ELQ to Tracy.

She sighed as she watched him talking to Carly about what'd happened, then asked Liz, "Are you okay?"

"Not really, I mean AJ and I.."

"I know." Emerald said as she nodded, tried to get her mind back on the paperwork while also trying to figure out if maybe she were trying to rush things.. Just because her ex hadn't shown up in a while didn't mean the threat was gone, didn't mean that he wouldn't come back, do something to hurt everyone she cared about.

But the closer she got to Michael, the more she wanted to just throw caution to the wind and let him in, let him close to her. When she got a break, she stepped out onto one of the outdoor areas on an upper floor, texted her father. Her father always knew the right thing to say to her. Maybe he could say something this time and things would click into place for her.

She really hoped so, because she was wearing herself out trying to figure out what was too much too soon, trying to stop herself from falling when she'd already fallen.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 03 PART 07

_**' Can We Pretend That Airplanes In The Night Sky Are Shooting Stars? I Could Really Use A Wish Right Now.. continued'  
**_

He sat on the couch in his apartment, still thinking about the drama filled day he'd had. Something deep down inside of him kept insisting there was more to this than met the eye.. Sure Connie had written AJ's name in her blood before dying, that'd been why Sonny went after him, but in this town?

If it walked like a duck, talked like a duck, chances were, when it was all said and done, it wasn't a duck, it was a penguin. Something made no sense to him. AJ had been too damn drunk to walk into the mansion on his own steam earlier, so how the hell would he managed to have gotten all the way across town and 'shoot' Connie like everyone thought, without someone to help him.

His mother, though.. She'd quickly dispelled any doubts he might have about AJ's being innocent or guilty. She'd tried her damndest to make her son believe his father could kill someone, which left him wondering.. If AJ did do this, and AJ's blood ran through his veins, then how soon until he snapped, hurt someone because they crossed him?

The door to the apartment opened and Emerald called out, "Mike? You okay?" as she came in, cut on the lights. He'd been sitting in this exact spot since he'd come home from the police station where he'd been recounting the hours AJ had been with him.

"Yeah, just thinking, Em."

"Mike, are you still dwellin on that?"

"Yeah.. Something about it doesn't make sense." he said as she sat down on the table in front of him so they were face to face and asked, "Okay, so walk me through what they said happened and I'll try and help."

"You don't need the stress."

"But you need someone to talk to, Mike."

"I'm alright.. Just thinking."

"Ughh, seriously? You make me tell you everything, and you wanna do this? Fine then. I'm gonna eat, watch the football game." Emerald said as Michael managed a slight smile and then said "That was weird.."

"What?"

"We sort of had a gender swap moment."

"Ha. We did." Emerald said as she licked her lips, thinking about how close she'd been to actually kissing him earlier. And how she'd talked to her dad about it, and much to her chagrin, his boss, Mack, overheard the entire thing and quickly told her that she came here to start over and take her life back.

If she felt something, both men apparently thought she should act on it. Mack also pointed out the same thing that her father did, Michael hadn't taken after either of his fathers, he really hadn't ever set out to hurt anyone. He'd made his mistakes, but he tended for the most part now to keep his nose clean.

Didn't help matters much when her father started fussing about her having a kid but no man in her life. Which she argued back that she'd had only a dad, and she'd been alright.

Michael stared at her for a few moments and then said quietly, "Earlier.. Thanks." as he leaned in a little, brushed some of her hair out of her eye and smiled a little. _'Whoa, easy there, Michael.. What if she's just being your friend? Just because she kissed your cheek, man, really?'_

_'She's leaning in too, crap... Do I let it happen or...'_

Emerald sighed as she said quietly, " Michael.."

"Yeah?"

"I did that earlier because I wanted to." Emerald admitted as she looked at him, bit her lower lip, wondering what would happen now that she'd admitted that, her in some ways instantly kicking herself for saying it. What if he didn't feel the same way?

"Really?" he asked, shocked as he looked at her a little, studying her intently. He didn't want to rush this, not by any means, but he didn't want to take it too slowly either.

Before any talk could go any farther, his cell phone rang and he looked at her, sighing, grumbling a little as he mouthed, "I have to take this.. But I wanna talk about this later." as he stepped outside and Dante told him that AJ was in booking now, they were about to question him.

He'd done it for Michael's sake, giving him a chance to find a lawyer for AJ, even though for the moment, it seemed like they had a clear cut case. Too bad Michael didn't agree this time around, huh?

Something about the whole thing just felt damn off, really. Like someone who knew what they were doing was setting him up.

Michael thought about something, a confrontation he'd had with Kiki's mom earlier today, and something about the way she acted had him wondering if maybe she hadn't done more than simply pour his father drinks last night..

He finished the call and then remembered that the number of his father's lawyer was in his father's home office, at the mansion.

The last place he honestly wanted to go right now. He gritted his teeth and walked inside, grabbing his keys quietly.

"You alright?" Emerald asked, wondering if he'd already started to change his mind about even talking about her admitting she'd wanted to do more than kiss his cheek earlier. She sighed and then asked, "Want me to go too?"

"I have to go to my dad's mansion.. Not really looking forward to it, because.."

"Tracy, right?"

"Exactly. She's still in full on gloat mode. Or she'll be pissed because whoever did this, whether it be my dad or someone else, they stole her gun from the safe to do it."

"Okay, gimme a minute, I'm gonna throw on some jeans. There's no way you're gonna go by yourself."

"You really don't have to go, Em."

"Mike.. I'm your friend, I'm not gonna make you do this by yourself." Emerald insisted. He knew she wouldn't back down, so he shrugged and said "I warned you." as he let her go and get dressed.

While he sat waiting, he honestly tried to figure out how their conversation about earlier, and what she admitted just now, what he felt too, was going to do.

"Okay, let's go. On the way, you can tell me why you think AJ's being set up." Emerald said as she grabbed a hoodie, pulled it down over her head over her Randy Orton t shirt.

"Alice will love you."

"What? Do I needa change?"

"Nah.. Alice used to be a female wrestler."

"Really? No shit? Awesome!" Emerald said as Michael laughed, helped her down into the passenger seat of his car, laughing a little at the slight difficulty she was having now, this early on. What really shocked him was trying to picture her in a few months, getting into his car, bigger than she was right now.. He smiled a little and then pretended to pout when she frogged his upper arm and said "Hey.. Not funny, Mr."

"It kind of was, ba, err, Em." Michael quickly corrected as he looked at her, smiled.

Her hand found his on the console and she said quietly, "It's okay." as she messed with the radio, finding some song, humming along to it. The drive was mostly silence, trying to figure out what she was going to say, or anticipate what he was going to say when she finally got it all off her chest, once and for all.

Because she was that sick of holding back.

"Well.. Here we are."

"Wow.. that's a damn big house." Emerald said as she let out a low whistle. She already knew Monica pretty well, because she worked at the hospital, so she wasn't worried about that.. Tracy, however..

Michael knocked on the door right as Dante was coming out, Tracy fuming about her missing gun.

"Who's she?" Tracy asked as she gave Emerald a once over, sort of rolling her eyes.

"This is Emerald.." Michael said as Tracy shrugged and then said calmly, "Guessing you're here for the number for your no good father's lawyer."

"Pretty much." Michael said as Emerald studied the woman and kept quiet. She had a lot she wanted to say, yeah, but she was just meeting the woman, so for right now, she was just gonna sit back and keep quiet.

They stepped inside and Monica walked out, worried, upset and rushing around. "Have they let you talk to your father, Michael?"

"No, grandma, they haven't. They took my statement and then I had to go so they could book him." Michael said as Monica sighed and nodded then said with a slight smile, "I see you bought Emerald with you.. I'm sorry this isn't a better night."

"Believe me, It's fine." Emerald said as she stood awkwardly, waiting on Michael to find the phone number he needed. Now that she was seeing how far out of town the mansion was, and she knew Michael had to get up and come help AJ last night, because he'd called at least 15 times.. She was kind of wondering herself if there weren't more to the whole thing than met the eye herself.

Leaning into Michael she whispered, "And you said that chick Ava was the one givin him drinks?"

"Yeah."

"Thought so." Emerald muttered as Monica came back into the room and then said "Stay and eat something?"

Michael had been about to decline, thinking the stress of this was enough on her alone, any more time here might be really really pushing him, but Emerald smiled and said casually, "Sure."

"I'll go get Alice to fix something." Monica said as she smiled and then said "You should come over more often, Michael."

He looked at her and then mouthed, "You sure you want to stay and eat?"

"Why not? She needs you here, Mike.. Look at her." Emerald mouthed back as Monica came back out from the kitchen and said "Alice is making something. So, Emerald.. Are you enjoying work at the hospital?"

"Yes ma'am. I actually am considering finishing school, maybe interning to be a nurse?"

Monica smiled and gave Michael an approving look. She didn't really care what Carly or AJ, Tracy thought.. She liked the girl, honestly.

Tracy glared as she watched the girl Michael obviously bought with him sitting across the table. She spoke up and asked with a smirk, "So, Emerald.. Where is the father of your baby?"

"For all I care, guy's in hell." Emerald wasted no time in replying, as she smirked right back and then said casually, "People raise kids alone all the time. My dad did, I'm okay, I like to think."

"Well, I hardly know you, so."

"Exactly." Emerald said quietly as Monica managed another smile as Michael tried not to laugh. They finished eating quietly, and left to go back home, the drive again being silent..

How would their talk go?


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 03 PART 08

_**' Can We Pretend That Airplanes In The Night Sky Are Shooting Stars? I Could Really Use A Wish Right Now.. continued'  
**_

"Are you sure you're okay?" Michael asked yet again, as he grimaced and peeked into the small white and blue bathroom, looking at Emerald in concern. Were pregnant women supposed to get this sick? He was beginning to wonder if he should go in, pick her up and take her to the hospital.

"It's called all damn day sickness, Mike.. I'm fine, I.." she trailed off as another queasy wave hit her stomach and had her bending quickly again. He walked in and kneeled a little, holding her hair out of the way as he said "That's it.. No more broccoli and cheesy chicken for you. Not if it does this."

"But Alice made it so tasty..." Emerald trailed off as Michael gave a little laugh and said quietly, "C'mon.. Let's get you somewhere lying still, okay?"

"First, just let me brush my teeth." she said as she brushed her teeth and then washed out her mouth and stood there a moment, just to be sure she was completely and totally done being sick.

When she was sure the sickness pased for the moment she nodded and went to walk out, but he picked her up, making her squeak in surprise as she said "Mike.. I can walk, really. This is not necessary." with him laughing a little as he walked down the hallway to her room, the former spare bedroom and put her in the bed.

Then he flopped down and said "So.. We were going to talk.."

"Yeah, we were." Emerald said quietly as she looked at him and said "If what I did made anything between us awkward, I'm sorry, I just.."

"What?"

"I, umm..."

Michael nodded and then said "I don't think anything's awkward, Em. If it were, do you really think I'd have come in the bathroom with you just now?" as he looked at her, smiling a little.

"You were being nice?" she said as she looked at him and then asked, "So, if you're not feeling awkward about it then.."

_'Okay, Michael, seriously.. You can kiss her now, she was clearly worried that you don't feel that way about her. And you do.. So do something, damn it.' _ his brain practically screamed at him as he leaned in and caught her and himself, even, by surprise when his hand went to the back of her neck and he pulled her into his lap, kissing her.

Emerald's eyes shot wide open and she muttered "Mmm." as she started to kiss back, her hand going to the back of his neck.

The kiss broke and they sat there quietly for a few minutes, looking at each other, wondering what in the hell to say next.

"Wow."

"That was exactly what I thought that would feel like." Emerald blurted out as her entire face went blood red and she groaned, realizing she'd just admitted that she actually thought about what it'd feel like to kiss him.

"Yeah.. I know exactly what you mean." Michael admitted, smiling at her as he said "So.. Do you get it now?"

"Yeah.. But your parents and your family don't exactly like me, I mean hell, from where I'm standing, the mess I'm.." she trailed off as he put his finger over her lip and said "Em, it's okay. I don't really care. If I did, trust me.. I would not have done that just now."

"Me either."

"Are you feeling better now?" Michael asked as Emerald snuggled against him and nodded then said "Mhmm. A lot better." and looked up at him, brushing her hand through his hair.

"Not gonna get sick on me again, right babe?"

"I'm empty for now." Emerald said with a little bit of a laugh as she sighed quietly and then said, "Wow.. And now I'm not sleepy anymore." as Michael laughed and then said quietly ,"Wanna move to the living room? Maybe there's something on tv worth a crap." as he stood and picked her up, putting her on his back. She groaned as she said "Seriously? I have two perfectly working legs."

"I know, but.. I like carrying you." Michael joked as they sat down on the couch, him pulling her against him, settling in behind her. "Where's that really big blanket?" he asked as he spotted the blinding blue and black zebra striped fuzzy blanket and pulled it down over them before grabbing the remote and turning on the tv.

He smiled to himself, relieved the talk they were going to have was over, and it hadn't went the way he'd been afraid it would.

"Seriously? Cartoons?"

"Hey.. Cartoons never get old." Emerald said as she handed him the remote and said "I've seen that one though. You can switch if you wanna." and rolled over, burying her face in his chest, yawning as she smiled to herself.

Now she just had to prove to everyone who cared about him that she was not after him for any certain reason, that she really did love him. She smiled as she made a mental note to tell her dad that she'd done what he told her, she'd finally admitted how she'd been feeling about him for the past few weeks, almost a month now, and it'd actually worked out.

But in the back of her mind, she was afraid of the ex problem.. She didn't want him being hurt. She didn't want him caught in the middle of a situation she shouldn't have ever gotten herself into in the first place.

But, the other thing her father told her was right, actually.. "Sometimes, it takes a really bad guy to know when you've met a really good one."


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 03 PART 09

_**' Can We Pretend That Airplanes In The Night Sky Are Shooting Stars? I Could Really Use A Wish Right Now.. continued'  
**_

"What is it with you and Emerald?" Kiki asked as Michael rolled his eyes before turning to her and saying simply, "I like her. Why does it bother you so much?"

"Because, Michael.. I just think it's because she's there, and she's available. I mean, we had something.. Didn't we?" Kiki asked, looking around. She just couldn't let things die like this, not when she'd realized how she felt, how she couldn't get rid of it, when they kissed.

What she didn't know, however, was that since then, Michael had kissed Emerald, and he was realizing that maybe, on his part, Kiki had been a rebound, she'd been the girl that sort of kept him from missing Starr Manning. He'd had a few weeks now to get close to Emerald, get reacquainted with his childhood friend, and he was starting to realize that she might have been what she wanted and needed, which scared him to admit, but it was true..

"She's pregnant, Michael.. Do you really want that for yourself? I mean your mother's right.."

"What my mother and I talk about is none of your concern for one thing, Kiki and another thing? I'm kind of getting sick of you around raising problems between me and Emerald. Look, I know I said that I couldn't get over you and I actually believed that.. Now I'm thinking that maybe I can. Maybe you weren't the one."

She cringed as she bit her lower lip, tapped his shoulder, tried to get him to turn around and look at her. "Just go, Kiki. Go to your husband before you completely ruin that." Michael said as he walked out of the office he'd been standing in, shaking his head. He'd known sooner or later, she'd show up, try and confront him again about his being so close to Emerald, she'd been doing her best to do anything and everything in her power to intimidate Emerald since the two met.

Suffice to say, it hadn't worked in her favor yet, and if Michael could help it, it wasn't about to, either. He texted Emerald to say he was on his way back to the apartment but if she wanted, they could meet at Kelly's Diner and walk back together and he tried not to laugh when she texted back, explained that she'd had, as she put it, 'one hell of a day' filing paperwork at the hospital.

"Wonder what's going on?" he muttered to himself as he walked out of the ELQ offices and down the sidewalk, heading towards Kelly's Diner. He smiled as he walked up behind her spot at the counter, his hands resting on her hip as he leaned in and muttered, "So, Kiki found me."

"Yeah.. She showed up again at the hospital today, got in my face about us. She almost stroked when I told her about our kiss.. I probably shoulda kept my mouth shut, but she kept pushing until I lost it on her." Emerald blurted, as she blushed, looked at him a little while, trying to figure out whether he was mad that she'd told about their kiss, or if it were okay.

"Yeah, she blew up on me when I told her too." Michael said as he shrugged and smiling added in a lower voice, "It's okay that you said something, I'm glad you did, it means you don't regret it, that you're happy."

"You too." Emerald said as he pulled her against him and muttered, "But no.. No chili, babe.. You know how sick it made you last time."

"I know, I know."

He saw his mother slipping in and groaned. She'd sort of been warming slightly towards Emerald lately, but he still wasn't entirely sure she liked her just yet. He had to hope that if they lasted, he really hoped they did, he could sort of just tell this time was different for him, this was it, it had to be.. maybe Carly would finally see Emerald was not after his money or anything.

His aunt Tracy, also seemed to be convinced Emerald was only after him to do what Carly had done to AJ. She'd been so convinced that before he left the office today, she'd given him a two hour lecture, wearing her trademark grim face the entire time, that Emerald was another Carly, and that at the end of the day, she'd break him just like Carly had broken AJ.

He'd just told her in the most polite of blunt and probably impolite ways then, to butt out. He was sort of beginning to see why his uncle Jason was pushed out of the family after the accident. They were sort of the kind of people who went out of their way, above and beyond to make an outsider feel unwelcome, unless of course, the outsider had something they wanted or needed.

Carly walked over and sitting down with them asked, "So.. Kiki's ranting about you two having kissed?" as she looked at them both with curiousity. She wasn't sure how to take this latest development, but she liked Emerald one hell of a lot better than she had Abby, or she liked Kiki currently, so she was trying to look at this as a good thing, not a bad one.

"Well? Did you?"

"Actually, mom, yeah, we did.. And we're trying to take things at our own pace. So if the next thing out of your mouth is going to be about not rushing things, we both know."

Emerald nodded and smiling said quietly, "I just wanna tell you.. I'm not after your son for any reason other than the fact that he makes me happy and he makes me feel safe.. And I wanna do the same thing for him."

Carly looked at her and nodding said quietly, "I'm starting to see that. I just don't want either of you rushing into something and regretting it later. Trust me.. I've made too many mistakes myself. You realize this is a big deal, right, Michael?"

"Yes, mother."

"And you do also?"

"Yes, ma'am." Emerald said quietly as she leaned against Michael. Was his mother FINALLY going to give her a chance and stop writing her off like she wrote off Kiki and his previous girlfriends? She knew Carly was one of those mothers who'd probably always butt in, but she was hoping that this was at the very least a thawing towards her, because she didn't want Michael to feel stress about this, she wanted him to be happy too.

"I just wanted to warn you both.. Both mom and daughter look really, really unhappy with that news.. So don't be surprised if they try and pull something." Carly warned the two of them gently as she asked, "Do you two feel up to keeping Josslyn again next weekend?"

"Sure."

"Don't mind at all."

Carly left and Michael got them a booth as he asked, "So.. How did it go at the doctors today? I want to go with you.. I mean if it's okay?"

"Michael, of course it's okay.. I mean, we are trying to start something, take things slowly.. I wanted to ask you to go so Daddy doesn't have to keep taking off or switching shifts at the bar with Mack.. But I was afraid you'd probably say no."

He shook his head and leaning in, stole a quick kiss as he took the sonogram and looked at it, laughing a little. "It kind of looks like they're waving.. And smiling."

"I thought so too. I wanna find out if I'm having a girl or a boy, but I also wanna be surprised too." she said as she held his hand, looked into his eyes, smiling. She really just felt happy that everything she felt about him was finally out in the open.

Now they just had to see where things went from there. Hopefully, they could make it through anything thrown at them, because Emerald had this feeling that for her, Michael was it.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 03 PART 10

_**' Can We Pretend That Airplanes In The Night Sky Are Shooting Stars? I Could Really Use A Wish Right Now.. continued'  
**_

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Emerald asked, biting her nails as she looked at Michael, concerned. She knew work kept him busy, but he'd said that he wanted to come with her for her next appointment with her doctor, concerning her baby.. And they were starting something, despite all of Kiki Jerome's best attempts to mess it up before it really actually got started.

"Why wouldn't I wanna go?" Michael asked as he smiled and hugging her against him said quietly, calmly, "Relax."

"Well.. I mean, I don't wanna make you miss work.. And daddy, he's gone on that fishing trip."

"Yeah, about that.. Did he leave with Luke?"

"Why?"

"Because if he did, Em.. There's no telling what he's up to.. "Michael said with a chuckle as Emerald groaned, palmed her forehead and then said "He better have his butt back here to see his grandkid." as she winced. The baby had been kicking up a literal storm all day long. She grabbed Michael's hand and placed it on her rounded stomach. Michael bit his lower lip, laughed a little as he looked at her.

This was real. He was really doing this, he wanted to be with her, he wanted this baby to grow up with him around, maybe even calling him dad. The shock of it all sort of hit him and he sat down, thinking. They were taking things slowly, but just feeling the baby kick inside of her.. It really put things into perspective with him just then. He knew now, beyond anything, he was serious and he wasn't letting her go.

"Are you alright?" Emerald asked, wondering if she'd just made him realize that this was going to happen.. In a few months, it'd be her, her child and if he didn't change his mind just now, him..

She was afraid he was about to walk out, say he needed to think, but he pulled her down into his lap as he turned her around and said with a smile, "Yeah.. I was just thinking.. I'm okay, promise. Now you.. Stop freaking out on me, okay?"

"Okay.."

"Em, I mean it. You can't freak out about every single thing.. Or you'll put too much stress on you, on the baby and I don't want you getting sick.. Either of you. Look at me."

Emerald looked up and then he smiled and said "Deep breaths. Everything will be alright.. No matter what."

"Michael, don't promise..." she trailed off as he put his finger over her lip and leaned in, kissing her, his hand moving to rest on her stomach. "I can and I am, because I'm not going anywhere. No matter what crap Kiki drags up next."

"Okay, it's just.."

"Shhh.." Michael coaxed as he continued to kiss her, then muttered, "This isn't getting us to the doctor any quicker, as much as I hate to say it."

"I know, right?"

He pulled her up and then grabbing his keys, her jacket, they walked down to the parking garage. Truth be told, he was excited about going to her appointments with her now. And he couldn't wait for this one.

"What's that smile for?" Emerald asked as she leaned across the console, kissing him.

He shrugged and kissing her forehead said quietly, "Guess I didn't really realize how much I wanted to do this, be a part of this until now?" he admitted as he looked at her, leaning in, his hand resting on the back of her neck, giving her another slow deep kiss.

She smiled to herself and the worries she'd had upstairs in their shared apartment were vanishing. She texted her father and asked how the 'fishing' trip was going with Luke Spencer, an old friend of his and seconds later, she laughed as he sent her a picture of the two men sitting in what appeared to be a cantina in Mexico, explaining they were having one last hoorah, since Spencer seemed convinced that Helena had in fact gotten the best of him this time.

"Apparently, Michael.. The two old tom cats are not on a lake.. They're in Mexico.." Emerald said as Michael laughed a little then said "Hey.. Don't worry.. I'm sure he'll come back before it's time for the baby. He promised, remember? When we dropped him at the airport last week, he promised you."

"I know, I just.. I worry about him.. I know about all the scrapes he and Luke, Sonny and that Baldwin guy used to get into back in the day if they were left in the general vicinity of one another.. Speaking of your dad.. Is he doing okay?"

Michael sighed and said "He's not handling losing Kate well at all."

"Well.. I mean do you blame him? If I lost you.."

"Yeah, I get it now.. If I lost you too.." they said as they looked at one another and managed smiles. They were worried of course about Michael's adoptive father, Sonny.

Especially with Anna Devaine looking into what exactly happened the night Connie was last seen alive...

"Any good news on AJ's front?"

"Not really.. Nobody can vouch for him.. Except for us, the few hours he was drunk and in the apartment with us.. He wanted me to tell you.. That he's sorry, he was wrong about you.."

"It's okay, hell, as I said before.. I don't really blame any of them, Michael. I really don't." Emerald said, shrugging it off, biting her lower lip. She couldn't wait to get to the doctor, find out the baby was healthy.. She actually couldn't wait until her baby came, finally. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze as she leaned against him and looking up said "I'm glad you're coming with me."


End file.
